Secrets in the Night
by Sinnto
Summary: AU. Bella went walking in the dark streets alone at night after work. She goes the same way she always have for the past two years. Unfortunately, this time she came across something rather unexpected.


Secrets in the Shadows

_Run! Run! Faster! Faster! _

My heart was beating a mile a second. I couldn't breathe; I couldn't think anymore than those two words; all I need to know is that I lost him. I wouldn't want to know the consequences if he caught me. I ran straight and saw a corner. I turned rapidly; I pushed myself against the wall. I stood straight and frozen, breathing in and out _very _slowly.

_How did this even happen? No, scratch that, how is this even _possible_?_ This was utterly unbelievable and I'm almost positive that I'm asleep and dreaming right now. But it was just too real. Every movement, every feeling, every pressure, all of it, it's very real. _My god, please let this be a nightmare. I don't think I can handle it anymore_. I've been running for the past thirty minutes trying to hide from that… _thing_. My heart was hammering so hard I could feel the pressure of the blood quickly rushing through my neck.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _

If I was frozen before, I must have been stone by now. The tapping of the shoes that's coming toward me just told me what was coming. I didn't bother to look back and took a dash straight and out onto the streets. The night had already descended, the only thing that kept the streets barely illuminating were the street lights. My breaths were starting to come in even smaller gasps. And before I knew it, I felt a hand tightened itself onto one of my arms and yanked me backwards. The force was strong enough to make me stumble backward but didn't quite fall because _he _was still holding my arm.

"Will you just _stop_ running? I'm getting quite tired of chasing after you – if you can even call it chasing," _He_ was definitely annoyed now.

"Let go, or else I _will_ scream," I whispered harshly and turned around to glare at the… _thing_ in disguise.

"You don't even have the voice to threaten me. I doubt you'll have the voice to scream," His words, his voice, they were challenging me. Even the look in his eyes showed that he's trying to get something out of me.

But he was right, I was still trying to catch my breath. I glared at him. I don't care of what I really do now. It was obvious I was going to die. It was obvious from the moment he didn't give up on trying to catch me. It seemed like he was getting pleasure from trying to catch me because I knew, deep down, he could've caught me so easily if he wanted to….

"What do you want from me?" My voice cracked, showing my emotion.

He froze; something crossed his mind. Then he looked me square in the eye. This demon. How dare he? Who does he think he is? Fooling and playing around with me like a piece of toy. At first glance, when his face was still like a _demon_, he was only similar to _him_. But now, his face focused and nothing like what I saw at the other ally… he looked _exactly_ like _him_. Him, as in my _fiancé._

I couldn't even hold in the rage I felt. I can't believe this. How can this monster take the image of my fiancé? Does this monster know me? Is that why he's trying to mess with my head? This is all so overwhelming. I don't know why the thing even dragged it on so long; probably trying to make me even more miserable. But in the end, I'll be dead and have my wish to be with him. I'll be with _Edward_.

"Bella," He whispered. The name rolling off his lips was so familiar. It was exactly like how Edward would say my name. But this wasn't Edward. It was just a monster taking the image of my love; a monster that had been stalking me, and wants to make my life_ hell_.

I took in a shaky breath, "Just, do it already."

He blinked. His expression confused, "Do… what?"

"Just kill me already," I sneered. I wasn't up for the games. I really don't care if I anger him. I'll probably die faster. Or, he as other plans for me and will make my life worse than it already was.

"Bella," He said it louder this time as if trying to awaken me or snap me out of something. He gave me the look Edward would give me when he tries to do that.

"What are you?" My voice reached a higher pitch as each word came out of my mouth. My fear was obvious.

He let out a dark chuckle, "Isn't it obvious?"

My heart started pulsing even faster. It _was_ obvious, if you've seen what I've seen. Back in that ally was a dead man, probably drained of blood. This man in front of me was the person who drained the man's blood. No, he didn't waste _any_ blood at all. No spills were made, because they all went into him.

He smiled when he realized that I knew what he was.

My heart squeezed in fear and I felt like I was choking myself more and more. This wasn't possible. How can a simple night coming home from work turn into something so unrealistic? What wouldn't I give to just wake up from this nightmare? I took shallow breaths. Tears were forming in my eyes already. I knew it; this will be the end of it all. But I guess one thing that I have to look forward to was being with my love, Edward.

Suicide thoughts occurred to me before but I knew it wasn't what he wants. But now, stuck without any choice, I _am_ going to die whether I want to or not. I might as well enjoy what death will bring to me.

He took a step forward me and I sucked in a breath. This was it. This is going to be the end of me. I'm going to be exactly like the man that's in the ally. Dead, lifeless, and no blood in my veins.

"_Relax_," He said calmingly. He said as if he wasn't going to harm and kill me. But of course, he's not the one running away from something that wants to suck the living life out of you.

His face suddenly turned remorseful; he pulled me close to him and hugged me tightly. I held myself stiffly against him. What was he doing?

He felt like any normal human would. The heat radiant from him; it feels like its Edward. Everything… his action, words, the smell. Oh god, his smell, it smells just like Edward. The smell that I always snuggled against and breathed in to calm myself, it was on him. But as much as I want to imagine this was really him and put my arms around him and hug him back, it wasn't him. Before I noticed, my tears finally spilled over my eyes and fell down my cheeks. I closed them tightly to hold more from falling out but they keep sneaking under the lids and falling.

Apparently, he felt my tears and pulled me away just a fraction to look at my face. He kept his hands on my shoulders. I looked down, I didn't want to see. I just wanted it toend already. I don't want to be tortured like this.

"Please... don't be afraid…," He begged.

I looked up at him and to see his eyes held such great emotions. He was in pain; that was obvious. It seems like he's going to cry any minute. But looking at him, he's so familiar, like he's not just a Dracula trying to kill me. It's almost like he's _him_. His eyes are dark green now, the way it always was when he was sad. His hair was a crazy copper color as it was. Everything, everything was identical to him. The only difference? He has fangs. I may not see them right now. But I saw them in deep crimson back in the ally when he was sucking everything out of that man.

"I'm not going to kill you," His voice cracked when he said this. He reached his hands and put it under my chin and lifted it up, "Bella, _look at me_," He begged.

My eyes are still moist and tears are still slipping as I looked up to his eyes. I see nothing but the man I fell in love with. The look in his eyes conformed what he said. _He wasn't going to kill me_.

His eyes were trying to tell me something. The begging and longing in his eyes was just so familiar to me. Edward. Edward. Edward. Everything just flash through my mind; all the moments I had with him. Everything that this _vampire_ was trying to do was what Edward always does. All of his action was measured, calculated and thought through. Edward always does that. His eye shows his emotions, his eyes being to read through me, his eyes telling me everything I needed to know. It's all Edward. And this man right here, he's doing it all.

He released his other hand from my shoulder and using both of his hands; he cupped my cheeks to hold my face where it is. His face now held anguish. And his eyes were searching my eyes, pleading a silent plea. But _why_ were they pleading me?

I took a sharp breath and my eyes widened. _Why haven't I seen it earlier?_ I put together the facts in my brain; the facts that I haven't put thoughts into.

Edward died, but his body was never recovered. _Nothing of him was recovered_. It was just that due to the length of his disappearance, they declared he was dead. And the fact that this… _vampire_ hasn't killed me yet was a big deal. He was just silently pleading. He was in pain. Everything made sense now.

He saw the recognition in my features. He face relaxed just by a fraction but he's still tensed, probably preparing for the worst.

"Edward," I gasp. I haven't said his name out loud ever since he was declared "dead". I was, for a long time, in denial. And it's only been three months since they declared he was dead. But he was missing for about a year and a half before they said he was dead.

It felt like something slapped my face. This was Edward. The person I've been running from was the love of my life. He was the boy who I grew up with and spent almost all my life. He was the one who've been by my side at my worst and best. As soon as all these thoughts occurred to me, I smashed myself into him and hugged him tight as I can.

I didn't care if he was a vampire. I didn't care about _anything_ right now. All I know that he was the person I fell in love with and he wasn't _dead_. That's all that matters during this moment.

He stood frozen for a second and I almost thought he was going to reject me until he wrapped his arms around me tightly with the same strength I'm hugging him with. I sobbed on his chest. The cries were cries of relief. A relief to know he's still alive. A relief to know that he's with me right this moment. I didn't want this moment to ever end. It was the moment in life where you thought you've lost everything and it just came back.

I lifted my head up and whispered, "I love you."

He kissed me and whispered, "I love you, too. More than you'll ever know."


End file.
